As a prey species, chinchillas need a good environment that provides them with adequate hideouts and places to rest. Because they can be easily spooked or frightened, it is important to provide your chinchilla with a good hiding spot in the home. There should be plenty of hiding places for all of your chinchillas, as well as a big box that all can share. Ensure that you monitor their behaviour to make sure that they are not in distress or otherwise suffering.

Air conditioning

If you have a chinchilla, the warmer weather is a welcome relief! Spring has arrived and the warm temperatures are in full swing. Chinchillas love the warmer weather, but it can also increase your electricity bill. In order to keep your chinchilla comfortable and safe, you’ll want to invest in air conditioning. This article will explain how to take care of a chinchilla in summer.

Chinchillas are highly susceptible to many illnesses and diseases. Heat stroke and respiratory disease are the two most common. Chinchillas’ coats are extremely sensitive, so they may hide their symptoms for days. They also suffer from respiratory disease and mold and bacteria exposure. It’s important to monitor any behavior changes so you can correct them early. If you notice a chinchilla acting out unexpectedly, consult a vet.

Shade

It’s summer again, and you’re probably wondering if you should consider purchasing a chinchilla for your home. Chinchillas are small mammals that live in families and need to communicate with their fellow chinchillas in order to thrive. Without a good group of friends, your chinchilla will grow bored and need more attention than it already needs.

Aside from placing a shaded cage, you should also consider providing cooling pads for your chinchilla. Leaving the blinds open will increase the temperature in its cage, and keeping the temperature at a moderate level will help your chinchilla maintain a normal sleeping pattern. Watch for signs of overheating such as red ears and labored breathing. During the summer months, keep your chinchilla in an air-conditioned room or indoor enclosure.

Regular dust baths

Chinchillas need regular dust baths to keep their fur from becoming matted, greasy, and heavy, which can contribute to overheating. Though they are clean and tidy animals, chinchillas can suffer from health and behavioral problems if the fur is constantly rubbed and groomed. This is why it is important to offer regular dust baths for your chinchilla in summer 2022.

A chinchilla should receive a dust bath at least twice a week. It’s important to keep the bath short. If you give your chinchilla a bath for more than three minutes, it could cause dryness and scratching. It’s also important to limit dust baths to three times per week. If you don’t have time to give your chinchilla a bath every day, you should try to offer it a bath once a week.

Air conditioning for chinchillas

Chinchillas need air conditioning in warmer weather. While fans will work to cool humans and other animals, they won’t cool a chinchilla. Chinchillas don’t have sweat glands, so they cannot cool themselves with fans. Air conditioning is the only way to ensure a healthy and safe environment for your chinchilla. Here are some tips for a comfortable climate for your chinchilla.

A chinchilla’s natural fur is very dense and warm, which is great for the cold Andes Mountains, but not so good for hot US summers. The chinchilla cannot pant to stay cool, so it relies on its caretaker to keep their room temperature cool and comfortable. The temperatures inside a room should be between fifty to seventy degrees Fahrenheit to be comfortable for a chinchilla. Even if the temperature outside is 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it can easily cause physical stress and death.

Chinchillas are pretty and delightful animals. They will charm you with their playfulness all the time. Incidentally, you may tend to have more chinchillas.

You might have a plan to have more chinchillas. However, breeding chinchillas bring lot of onus on you; it is quite cumbersome, so have to take care of this seriously. You should have knowledge about the pregnancy complications, teeth problems, difference between heat plug and copulation plug and much more. Genetically, some problems are transferable. It is must to know that if any of the breeding pair have any health issues. When you run your hand over the chinchilla’s fur, you should feel silky and consistently even. The tail should be flocculent. The chinchillas must be extremely healthy and active, and not be related. Never breed a chinchilla with another chinchilla of similar color. Like white with another white, or a black with black or shiny velvet with velvet. These will create complications. They should be of similar ages and sizes. If you want to negate the breeding, it is better to have the male castrated. You should be prepared to invite the kits coming, with enough space and cages.

At the age of 8-10 weeks, male chinchillas can breed. 6-8 months is the fertile period for females. It is advisable that females are at least 8 months old before breeding. Allow 8 months or older to start chinchillas breeding or else it will create severe complications. This will help them to reach sexual maturity and help them achieving maximum growth in the pelvic region. Once you get hold of male and female chinchilla, keep them in separate cages side by side to know each other. This is the start of the breeding stage. It may take two weeks for them to introduce and understand each other. Move the female into the male chinchilla’s cage; never transfer the male into female cage. If they do fine, it is good, or else, separate the two immediately and again leave them as neighbors for another week. Have a keen observation on this. Chinchillas take time to be acquainted, so be patient. Male will attempt for mating with female in season. Every 30-40 days female come into season. While chasing the female, male wags his tail, creating curious noises. He will try to inveigle in his own style. During the mating, male will pull out gobs of female fur. The mating usually takes place at night.

Signs are visible, once the mating is over- male chinchillas have hiccups and they will insert a waxy plug into the female. Now you have to start looking out for the copulation plug (1 ½ inches long), which a female excretes within 24 hours of mating. Chinchillas mate up to 3 times a year. Male chinchillas clean their genitals after each mating. In this process, they loose several strands of hair and this will create a hair ring. This will result in excruciating pain, difficulty in urinating and swelling of the organ. So gently lubricate the penis, if hair rings are present and then cut them off. Once the conception date starts- excretion of the copulation plug- you can count from 109-120 days for the kits to arrive. On an average, the pregnancy is for 111 days. Never pick chinchillas with tail during pregnancy; this will create undue stress, and even the chances of abortion.

Before the delivery, remove the dust bath. A litter is usually one or two but can be up to six chinchillas. They are normally born during the night. Be ready with a box mounted with a heating pad under it to keep babies warm, when the mom is out of the cage. Arrange a carpet or soft platform on the cage floor for the babies to walk and avoid leg injuries. If the female has more than one baby, it may be necessary for the breeder to dry the first baby. Females will be ready to mate within the 72 hours after delivery. If you do not want any breeds, remove the male from the cage and place in another cage adjacent to the female’s cage. You can put back the male chinchilla in the cage with the female after 72 hours to help with the babies. When the babies are about 8 weeks old, they wean. The babies weigh from 30-60 grams on average. The baby chinchillas are born with soft fur and eyes open. They can walk without any support. You can just think, how amazing and charming they look. They eat pellets and hay, when they are two weeks old. In the eighth week the male, female and babies are separated to prevent impregnating with one another.

Now they have their own beautiful cages. After 14 weeks, you can sell chinchillas.

Chinchillas are lovable and endearing and offer many years of companionship for the owner but can you be allergic to chinchillas? A not so well known info is that chinchilla do discharge proteins that make a person allergic. It is expulsion in the form of urine and saliva and in addition to, they shed their fur once every few months.

The reason a person becomes allergic to chinchillas is primarily due to the hay and dust from the chinchillas. If you happen to be allergic to hay and dust, then buying a chinchilla as pet is out of question. It is a well known fact that most warm-blooded animals that release protein have fur in their body. Furry animals like to lick their fur and the saliva, once dried will set of the protein floating about on different material in the home.

Some who might not be attuned of such things will have to contend with their allergies and eventually give away their pet chinchilla. It is not just the owner who has to put up with the hassle but the poor chinchilla as well. They will have to fore go their hay and dust bath and then sooner or later they have to be re-homed. It can be traumatic for the pet chinchilla, not just for the owner who is suffering from the allergy.

You can get allergic just by exposing to the chinchilla and rubbing your eyes and skin is common. One relevant detail that we need to know is that allergy might takes weeks, months or even years to occur and there are instances that some owners might require inhaler to cure their breathing predicament. If you are one such person who eventually becomes allergic to the hay and dust, then re-homing is obligatory for your pet.

To avoid from developing long term allergies from the hay and dust, there are many ways and cover the cage of your chinchilla with a sheet by having its own enclosed area with closed door is one of them. If there is a need to apply dust, stay off the fans, then wrap it with a sheet and close the door to the room for a little more than ten minutes as it will allow the dust to settle.

Asides from the necessary safety measures, you can buy for your pet chinchilla certain brand of bath sands that reduce the impact of the dust from flying around. While it is helpful to reduce the dust, it is not cost effective for those who are on a tight resource. The measures you take to curtail the allergies from your pet chinchilla are all indispensable steps but if you do eventually develop allergies or are severely allergic to fur and dust, then re-homing is the best option.

Naming a new pet can be a fun, easy thing to do for some people. For others, however, it can be challenging or even overwhelming. How do you go about picking a name for a new chinchilla? Keep reading and you will find lots of suitable names for chinchilla pets in this article.

Some people choose their chinchilla names before they even bring them home. Other people wait a while before deciding on their new pets’ names, so they can see what their personalities are like and choose names that would suit them well. There are a large number of creative names that fit these furry little critters very well.

Some chinchilla owners name their pets based on their appearance. For example, Sugar, Salt, or Pepper can indicate the color of a chinchilla’s fur. Other names that are based on appearance include Fluffy or Speckles, for example. If you own a chubby chinchilla, you might consider naming him Hefty. Or, if your chinchilla is small and thin, Wimpy might be a good name. Sonar is another popular appearance-based name because these little guys have such great big ears.

Other chinchilla owners prefer to use names that are based on their behavior. For example, chinchillas can be physically very active, jumping and climbing all over their living space. In the wild, chinchillas live in the mountains, climbing rock faces and escaping their predators by jumping into mountain crevasses. Some examples of creative names for active pets include Spunky, Feisty or Skippy. For calmer, more laid-back chinchillas that prefer sleeping over running all over the room, a name like Sleepy or Drowsy might be ideal.

Chinchillas tend to be set in their ways, so if the chinchilla you buy is active it will probably continue to be active for as long as you own it. Likewise, if you buy a chinchilla that is shy, it might always stay that way. It will take a great deal of work for you to help a shy chinchilla overcome its reluctance and become comfortable being handled. Bashful might be a good choice as a name for a shy chinchilla.

Still other chinchilla owners name their pets for where they originally come from. Andy, referring to these animals’ origins in the Andes Mountains, has become one of the more popular chinchilla names.

Finding a name that suits your chinchilla is a fun thing to do. In addition to the types of chinchilla names mentioned above, you might also consider naming your chinchilla for something you like. For example, you could name your chinchilla after your favorite rock band or TV actor. Favorite cartoon characters also make creative chinchilla names. The list of possibilities for good, creative chinchilla names is almost infinite. There are no specific chinchilla names that owners almost universally select. Instead, the emphasis is on finding a name that works for the individual chinchilla and its owner. Names are important, but chinchillas have so much built-in personality that you could almost name them anything. Although a chinchilla won’t respond to its name if it’s called, naming them creatively makes their owners feel like their furry pets are important family members.

Chinchillas make great pets. They are not as popular as dogs and cats, but their good nature and desire to play are a good reason for you to catch the chinchilla craze.

Despite their soft and cuddly bodies, chinchillas resist being held for long periods of time. They enjoy moving around and can appear rather skittish. Their movements are very similar to the squirrels you may see in your local park. This characteristic of most chinchillas means adult supervision is needed when your pet chinchilla is handled by small children. Chinchillas will make a great edition to any family. However, families with small children may want to wait until a few years before bringing a chinchilla home to stay.

Chinchillas are low maintenance but they do require special care. However, it is not hard to meet the needs of your chinchilla. As a native of the Andes mountains, chinchillas require a cool environment. If you live in a warm climate, make sure your chinchilla has an air conditioned place to stay. Do not allow them to be in 80+ degrees temperatures for long periods of time.

Female chinchillas will grow bigger than their male companions. Generally, females will weigh about a pound and a half. Their life span is long, about 12 to 20 years, when compared to other pets in the rodent family.

Chinchillas love to chew. I am not talking about chewing tobacco! They have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lifetime. Chewing and gnawing is the natural way for chinchillas to keep their teeth under control. Chinchilla owners need to provide their pets with a chew friendly habitat. Use chew proof cages and accessories. Provide them with chewable items as well, such as small hay bales. Use simple items such as cardboard boxes for them to hide in and eventually destroy by chewing.

Dust baths are one of the chinchillas unique pleasures. Dust bath products can be purchased at your favorite online pet shop. Corn starch and corn meal make great alternatives to store bought dust bath products.

Chinchillas are fun active pets. They are easy to care for but they do need a family who will spend time with them. Do not buy a chinchilla and just leave it in a cage 24 hours a day. Play with and love your pet. This is a sure fire way to get caught up in the Chinchilla craze.

Chinchillas are very unique creatures that are only found in the Andes Mountains (originally). Because of the unique environment they were made for, they require special care to be sure that they live long, healthy lives. It’s true that the cage you buy probably won’t be exactly like the Andes Mountains where your chin is originally from, but with a little planning and forethought, you can get it as close as possible. Here are some steps for you to make your chin feel at home by mimicking the natural chinchilla habitat.

The first thing you should worry about matching is the landscape. The mountainside where their from is steep and rocky, giving them lots of stuff to jump and climb around on. To imitate this, you should look for a cage that is nice and tall with ramps and shelves that your chin can climb. An exercise wheel is another thing that is almost essential to keep your chin well-exercised. One rule with buying a cage is the bigger the better!

Along with a big cage, chinchillas need plenty of exercise. The tall cage will definitely help with this, but even better is to let them out of their cage at least once a day to run around a closed room that you have “chilla proofed.” Keep an eye on him at all times when he’s running around the room, and don’t let him get ahold of any wires or other dangerous things. Chins have a tendency to chew on stuff, so be sure you watch him around your furniture!

Another very important aspect of their natural habitat is the temperature. They are made with thick fur coats to stay warm in the cold mountains. So when you take them and put them in your house in a warm room, they can easily overheat because they have no way to cool themselves (i.e. they don’t sweat). So it’s very important that you have at least one room in your house that ALWAYS stays at 70 degrees F or lower. Too long at 75 degrees F can make them overheat, and anything above 80 can give your little guy heatstroke.

Back in the Andes, chinchillas will roll around in piles of volcanic rock dust or ash to stay clean. I know this may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true! The fine dust actually gets into their thick fur and absorbs any excess moisture, oils, and dirt to keep them clean and healthy (although a bit dusty). To imitate this you will need to buy specially made chinchilla dust that he can roll around in. Find a container that won’t tip over, put some dust in, then put your chinchilla in and he will have a fun time rolling around and getting clean.

Since your chin won’t have the opportunity to roam around and chew on various things to keep his teeth filed down (like he would in his natural habitat) it’s important to provide him with chewing blocks. Never put anything plastic in their cage, because they will chew it up an ingest it, which can make them sick or even kill them.

One area where you won’t want to match the natural chinchilla habitat is in their diet. Wild chins can eat plants, fruit, seeds, and insects, but a diet like that will irritate your domestic chinchillas digestive system. Instead you should feed him mostly special chinchilla pellets, with some hay mixed in there for fiber. Treats are OK once in a while too.

If you keep all this in mind when setting up your chinchilla habitat, you’re sure to have a happy, healthy chinchilla for many years to come!

Most people know that Chinchillas need food and water, that’s just common sense, but do you know what they need everyday in their cages to keep them healthy and happy? In this article I’ll tell you exactly what your Chin needs, and a few things that are optional too.

Space is valuable in a chinchilla cage, they like to climb and jump around and that requires space. Too much junk in their cage will just get in the way, so what are the necessities for every chinchilla’s cage?

Food and Hay – As you would have guessed, this is pretty important. Chinchillas need a special kind of food that’s available at all pet stores and tons of places online. I order mine in bulk online to save myself the trip to the store. The alfalfa hay is very high in protein and so should only be given as a treat, timothy hay can be available all of the time though.

Water – Your chinchilla should have access to water at all times. You can go with a bottle or a dish. The bottle will need to be on the outside of the cage, with the nozzle through the side of the cage so it doesn’t get chewed on. The dish should be ceramic or metal, but heavy enough not to be knocked over easily. That would just make a mess and leave your little chin without anything to drink, which is why I prefer the bottle. Less mess, quicker to refill, and harder to spill.

Bedding – Your options here boil down to newspaper and wood shavings. As mentioned before, stay away from pine and cedar shavings. Apple and willow woods are the most recommended and if possible, try to get a hold of shavings that have been kiln dried. The chemicals in pine and cedar make them great for absorbing odors, but terrible for your little chin’s lungs. The kiln-drying helps to decrease the levels of those chemicals, and therefore make the shavings safer.

A Way To Stay Fit – Chinchilla’s love climbing, jumping, and running. Climbing and jumping should be taken care of with the design of the cage, so we’ll focus on running here. One thing to avoid is spokes, if you’re getting a wheel make sure the sides are solid. My chin’s favorite has been the flying saucer, a place to play with no dangerous spokes, can’t argue with that.

Dust Bath – What? Yep, a dust bath. Chinchilla’s love it. Don’t let them overdo it though. 2 times a week for 10 minutes each is plenty, any longer and it’s not healthy for their fur or their skin. You can keep the bath in their cage as long as there’s a way to cover it up so they can’t get at it. You need to regulate how much they use it. I find the best way is to simply keep it out of the cage and then place it when it’s time to use it. (Helpful hint: dust baths are a great way to get your chinchilla back into its cage without a fuss)

A Place To Hide – Whether it’s a small wooden house, a log made of hay and honey, or just some tubes they can run through, your chin needs somewhere that they can get some alone time. As with everything else that goes in the cage, make sure it’s safe to chew on. Better yet, why not choose something that’s healthy to chew on? Which brings us to:

Fun Things To Chew On – This can be anything, as long as it’s safe. Wooden platforms and ledges (apple and willow are the best types of wood for this, avoid pine and cedar) are my personal favorite, and lava ledges are a close second. Chewing on these objects will keep your chin’s teeth healthy and strong, and help to avoid dental problems like malocclusion.

Chinchillas may look cute but they do not need lots of care and attention once they are brought home. If you don’t keep your pet amused even when it is cage then they can quickly become bored and unhappy. So if you are willing to do it is worth spending some time teaching yours a few chinchilla tricks that will keep it amused whilst in its cage or when allowed to roam.

By teaching them things it can help to prevent your chinchilla from becoming a destructive pet. The best way of doing this is by providing them toys that they can spend hours playing with and chewing. Be sure to avoid the plastic types as these may contain chemicals in them that could prove detrimental to your pet’s health.

Another thing that is worth considering is not just to buy one chinchilla on their own but two. They not only have someone that they can play with but will help each other to keep their coats looking great. To avoid the patter of small chinchilla feet it is best to purchase two females. But be aware that there may be occasions when your pets don’t get alone and so provide them with separate space if needed.

After bring your chinchilla home allow it time to settle in before you do actually attempt to try and teach it a trick. For the first few weeks it is far better if you allow yours to get used to its new surroundings and new owner. A chinchilla that is happy will trust you more and so respond to what you are trying to teach it to do more willingly.

Once they have settled now is the time to begin teaching them some tricks. The first one you should try to teach them is that they come to you when their name is called. Below we offer some tips on how to achieve this.

Step 1 – Start by saying your chinchilla’s name and then every time that they respond by turning towards you or looking at you provide them with a treat (raisin). You should do this twice a day for about one week.

Step 2 – Next you should again call your chinchilla’s name but this time you should hold the treat about 5cm away from them. Then provide them with it should they move towards you after their name has been called. Again practice this twice a day for a week.

Step 3 – We are now at week three and this time as you call your chinchilla’s name hold the raisin a distance of 10cm away from them. But rather than repeating this twice a day for one week you should be doing so for 2 weeks. Hopefully by the end of this time your chinchilla should be coming to you without the need for treats just by you calling their name.

When it comes to teaching your pet any new chinchilla tricks make sure that you don’t give them treats at any other times. Plus take your time over teaching them each new trick just as you did with teaching them to respond to their name being called.

If you have a little chinchilla then you probably know that they aren’t silent creatures. Some chins are quieter than others, but they all make a little noise at the very least. Chinchillas make a wide variety of sounds, and each chinchilla has a unique ‘voice’ just like people do. Aside from all the noise he might make in his cage at night while you’re trying to sleep, here are four common vocal noises that most chinchillas tend to make.

Barking

If you hear your chinchilla barking, it usually means he is stressed out about something and scared. If you just got your chin, he may bark at you when you try to pick him up, warning you that he doesn’t want to be touched yet. When you hear this noise, it’s usually a good idea to check on him to make sure he’s not caught in his cage somehow, or if you have other pets that they aren’t bothering him. However, if they bark every night and wake you up, your chin may be doing that just to get attention. As long as he’s safe and comfortable, you should probably ignore it so he will stop waking you up at night.

The Chinchilla Cry

When your chinchilla cries, it is usually not a pleasant sound and you’ll automatically know something is wrong. If you take good care of your chin and make sure he’s well protected, you may not ever hear this sound. But things do happen, and if he hurts himself or you step on his tail he may yelp in pain.

Cooing

This is the most enjoyable sound that your chinchilla will make. He may make this sound when he sees you come in the door or if he is greeting or communicating with another chin. As you spend time and get to know your chinchilla you will begin to recognize that this sound means he is happy. Another common occurrence of this noise is when you walk up to his cage and he knows it’s time to get out of his cage and play.

Chattering their teeth

They do this for a variety of reasons, after you get to know your chin you’ll probably be able to tell what the occasion is. They may chatter their teeth if they are in pain or anxious about something. Then on the other hand, they have also been observed doing this when they are happy, so this one will be up to you to figure out for your chin.

Although rain rarely visits the dry and rocky environment of the Andes Mountains in South America, wild chinchillas have adapted and managed to make the most out of their environment. For the various succulents covering the area alone, these have evolved in such a way that whenever precious water is available, either growing vast roots underground to soak every drop, growing very close to the ground for immediate access, or storing the water in their juicy flesh. For wild chinchillas, eating some succulents replaces drinking. And since water is hard to come by, grooming includes bathing in the fine sand and ash scattered about.

Since many chinchillas have been bred in captivity and domesticated, companies and pet owners have tried to mimic aspects of their natural habitat by providing them with a variety of special chinchilla dust baths available in pet stores.

Chinchilla’s fur is rich and thick, helping them insulate their bodies against extreme temperatures, protecting their sensitive skin from bacteria and parasites. Unlike other domestic animals, you cannot wash your pet chinchillas with water or shampoo. Their skin is prone to bacterial and fungal infection with moisture. This is why, even when in the wild, chinchillas roll in fine dust to clean. Chinchilla dust is formulated in such a way that it does not dry out your pet’s coat, only absorbing and stripping away excess oil, dirt, and moisture.

Most chinchilla dust baths available in the market today usually have the vague phrase “natural chinchilla dust” written under the ingredients portion of the label. In the wild, the dust they roll around in is composed of either fine volcanic ash or eroded pumice rock found in the area; or a mix of both. Some products are made of grounded pumice rock. The “Chinchilla Bath Sand” product claims that it is made entirely out of “100% Natural Volcanic Mountain Pumice found in the Andes Mountains.” The tagline also includes that such an ingredient is “dust free” lessening the trouble of dust flying around during bathing time.

For other products like “Sun Seed Sunthing Special Chinchilla Dust Bath”, the product lists ‘Fuller’s earth” as an ingredient. This is a mineral that is known to be capable of absorbing oil, moisture, and other impurities; also added in some cosmetics, powders and pharmaceuticals. Interestingly, movie sets also use the powdered mineral to simulate larger and cheaper explosions. For other uses in pet care, the ingredient is also known to be in cat litter and other pet powders.

Other possible ingredients put in the mix of chinchilla dust include either a portion of really fine sand or fragrances. Be wary of cheap knock-offs that are only made of sand as this doesn’t really do a good job in cleaning your pet chinchilla. The Kaytee and Pet Scentsations brands offer various chinchilla dust baths with scents ranging from melon, to raspberry and vanilla. Other brands state their products to be environment-friendly and all-natural. These are great considerations in choosing the perfect chinchilla dust variety for you.

Chinchilla dust is usually affordable depending on the size you require or would like to keep in stock. Prices range from approximately $4 (for about 30 ounces) to about $30 (for a big sack of over 60 pounds of dust). Many pet owners usually try a variety of products to see which best suits the chinchilla they have.

Knowing what exactly is in the chinchilla dust bath you buy helps in understanding your chinchilla and its basic needs even better. And just like any good consumer, it pays to be on the look-out for only the best products available for your pet.

Chinchillas are lovely pets, surprisingly friendly and very inquisitive. They will be happy with their cage located in almost any room of the house but as chinchillas are nocturnal animals they will be active for much of the night so a sleeping area, particularly a child’s bedroom, may not be the ideal location.

Once you have found a good place for your chinchillas to live (and remember that they like a big cage so will need more room than similar small animals like hamsters), what other tips do you need to know for health and happy chinchillas?

Chinchillas are very sociable creatures and because of this prosper well in pairs. That said, if you get two of different sex that become a breeding pair you should expect to have several litters of baby chinchillas a year. If you don’t have the room for an ever growing chinchilla population or to house the babies whilst they are maturing, look to get two chinchillas the same sex.

Because their teeth are always growing, chinchillas will chew almost anything that they come into contact with as a way of keeping their teeth in good condition. This means that you must make sure anything in their cage is safe for them to digest and that items outside the cage are well out of reach. It is not uncommon for a chinchilla to get hold of curtains or coverings and pull them into the cage where they proceed to shred them. Because they need to chew, include items such as a tree branch (apple is ideal) or untreated wooden shelves. Half a concrete building breeze block at the bottom of the cage will give the chinchilla something to gnaw and also a different surface to sit on. Do not be surprised if this quickly becomes more rounded with the corners reduced to dust!

Chinchillas like to exercise and will relish the opportunity to explore outside their cage, under careful supervision. Remember to close windows and doors in the room you will let them out in, and block up any small openings that they could explore and escape from. They will also take the opportunity to chew items they come across, including the skirting boards, electrical cables and loose wallpaper. This can be reduced with some close supervision and by protecting vulnerable areas. Alternatively a staircase can provide a relatively safe location for your chinchilla to run around (and up and down) as they will spend most of their time out of their cage in bounding around, with fewer distractions.

Your pet chinchilla should provide you with years of entertainment, enjoyment and companionship and will thank you for following these small tips.